


Magnificent Cadenza

by ATdotCOM



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Ensemble Square, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Graduation, Reunions, fine, past fine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:21:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24086533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ATdotCOM/pseuds/ATdotCOM
Summary: Ensemble Square was a utopia for idols. A paradise founded by Tenshouin Eichi and Saegusa Ibara for the world to enjoy. However, the world of idols was one of constant change and advancement, and it did not take long for cracks to start appearing in the walls of paradise. It is up to Anzu, the first student of the Yumenosaki Academy Producer Course to once again take matters into her own hands, and reunite the past to save the future.
Kudos: 3





	Magnificent Cadenza

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I hope you enjoy the story!

The idol world was one of constant change and development. Whenever her classmates in the producer course asked Anzu for advice on what it means to be a producer, she would tell them to expect everything to shift as quickly as the seasons. What fans may like at one moment, they may begin to hate after a week. These changes and the idols they affected both needed to be accommodated to keep up with what was popular, less they wanted their units to fade to nothingness.

That was why Anzu was so on board with the idea of Ensemble Square, despite the two major minds behind the project. Something about the idea of Tenshouin Eichi and Saegusa Ibara working together on anything made Anzu feel sick to her stomach, but she could not deny the results were spectacular. The island provided training areas and stages, but the producer could not help but fall in love with the two towered building in the center of the island, housing the four separate production companies that would support the units she aided throughout her second year of high school.

However, initially when she had heard each of the units from Yumenosaki Academy had signed with a major production company, she thought she would have less work, but she could not have been more wrong. Her to do list grew each day that passed since the grand opening of Ensemble Square, but if she was supporting her idols, she was happy. They needed her in the same way she needed them, after all.

Currently, her tasks for the afternoon were simple. Finish the paperwork for Trickstar’s next live, do inventory on the props used by Ryuseitai, and talk to the members of the unit Alkaloid about their intentions as idols. She counted herself lucky that all of her tasks required her to remain on the floor of the building that was reserved for Star Maker Productions: it really saved her legs if she did not have to run all around the building for hours on end. Additionally, the StarPro floor was bright and colourful, as were the idols that spent their time in it. She was part way through her first task of the day when she overheard StarPro’s founder talking on the phone. Despite the fact Eichi was still sickly, his voice carried from his office across the mostly empty floor.

“Something new, but nostalgic? I am a talented idol, Sir, but I cannot preform contradictions… I understand that we must appeal to both audiences…yes sir. I will think of something.”

Anzu put down her pen, turning her chair toward the slightly opened door to Eichi’s office. She was not that busy, she supposed. What kind of producer would she be if she left one of the top idols of the agency in need? The paperwork, props, and meeting would have to wait. Standing up from her desk, Anzu wordlessly walked over to the office, and knocked on the door. When she peered through the slightly open door, she saw Eichi, frowning at a piece of paper. The office was tidy, the desk clear except for the paper, and a few photo frames.

Her knock seemed to somewhat jolt the blond man from his thoughts, changing his focus from the page in front of him to the producer. “Anzu-chan!” Eichi exclaimed, his usual smile taking the place of the frown he was wearing moments before. “So nice of you to stop by like this! What brings you to my office today?”

She was never one for words, but her year as a producer had improved her confidence in her voice. “I overheard your phone call, Tenshouin-san.” She stated as she shuffled into the room, her hands folded in front of her. “You sounded distressed and I was wondering if I could be of any aid.”

“Please, call me Eichi-kun. We are far past ‘san’ by now, aren’t we?” Eichi responded, his smile remaining on his face. “It is not anything too bad. The board of directors for the square are waiting for me to come up with some big event idea and it is proving more difficult than it normally does. They seem to be getting bored with lives composed of the main units, but dislike how shuffle units are too unfamiliar to the fanbases. They don’t know what they want at this point.”

“It is like they just want the unit names to draw in fans but switch up what the performances are like to keep the fans entertained…” Anzu replied, taking a seat in the chair across from Eichi, a frown appearing on her face.

Eichi only nodded. Even if his mouth were still a smile, Anzu could tell there was worried behind his blue eyes. “You can tell that the people on the board, our sponsors and such, have never spent a moment on stage. They hardly understand the pressure and emotions that idols feel… I was hoping Ensemble Square, with help from you, would prevent occasions like this where the impossible is asked, but it seems that no revolution is able to change stubborn minds.”

“I only have one idea, and the chances of people agreeing are slim.” The idol continued, taking the piece of paper from the desk and showing it to the brown-haired producer. A shuffle unit request form (she recognized it from when she helped Chiaki with √AtoZ), with four names written on it: Aoba Tsumugi, Ran Nagisa, Tomoe Hiyori, Tenshouin Eichi. “A reunion would bring both old fans out to a concert but would also capture the attention of newer fans. It is, theoretically, the only possible compromise I can think of. However, regathering the original fine would be a challenge.”

The smile faltered again for a moment as Eichi reached for one of the photo frames on his desk and turned it to face the producer as well. Four idols, posed together in white suits on a pure white stage, reaching out to the audience with smiles on their faces. “That was taken at our final live,” Eichi explained, letting Anzu take a closer look. “The contracts were terminated the next day, and we all parted ways. Old fine has been, for the past two years, nothing but a distant memory. It will require an experienced producer at its head, so I am lucky you wandered into my office.”

The producer had only heard stories of the fine that existed the year before she transferred to Yumenosaki Academy. Tenshouin Eichi working with three other idols of extraordinary caliber, creating a unit that could not be defeated by The Five Oddballs. A true unstoppable force… If Eichi was truly planning on reuniting the past fine, even if it were for one night, it would be a fantastical event requiring a lot of coordination. A lot of coordination that Eichi seemed to be pushing on her. “Do you really think that is possible to bring back a unit from that era?” She asked, trying to stop her eyes from getting too wide.

Eichi only grinned, as he always does. “We better hope it does, Anzu-chan. Otherwise, Ensemble Square may start losing funding very quickly. My family can only help so much, you know.”

When Anzu exited the office, she still could not hide her shock. A plan so daring only the Emperor could think of it, and what made it crazier was that it could work. Ran Nagisa and Tomoe Hiyori were the faces of Eden, and getting them, though it would be a challenge, would draw in more fans. Aoba Tsumugi was the glue that would hold the three other members together… But would those three agree to return to their pasts? The thoughts swirled in Anzu’s head, and she could hardly focus on the paperwork before her.

“Hey, Anzu. Are you alright?”

The words snapped Anzu out of her trance. She had not even noticed that Mao had sat down next to her. The red-haired boy leaned against the desk, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. “You were doing that thing where you space out again… Do you need some water or something?”

“No, Mao-kun. I’m fine.” The producer answered, blinking a few times to try and regain her composure. She could have sworn Mao had told her that he had student council work to do today; what was he doing at Ensemble Square. It was only then Anzu realized the orange light reflecting off her desk from the window, where outside the sun set across the surrounding water. Had she really sat there all day doing nothing? “I just heard about a future project today and I don’t really know what to think of it, that’s all.”

“Well,” Mao beamed, grabbing the chair from a nearby desk and straddling it, “you know I am always around to lend an ear. What’s the project?”

Sparing a brief glance to Eichi’s office, Anzu tried to prevent herself from stammering over her words. “Well, I spoke to Tenshouin-san earlier. Apparently, there are issues going on at the board and they have put him in charge of solving them. His idea is to bring back past fine.” She had trouble forcing the words to leave her mouth, her eyes meeting Mao’s.

“Past fine, huh.” Mao ran a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath. “That President…” He exhaled, still using the title for Eichi though it was his own now. “You think he has something up his sleeve with this?”

“I don’t think Tenshouin-san is quite the schemer he once was, Mao-kun. He became our ally, and I doubt he would take that back so quickly…” Nearing the end of her sentence, Anzu let her words fall quiet, facing down once again. “But I don’t want to fall victim to him either. He could be trying to pray off my naivety-”

“Anzu.” Mao interrupted, putting a caring hand on the producer’s shoulders. “You aren’t facing this alone, you know that, right? If he tries to pull anything, he has another thing coming.”

The producer lifted her head, eyes only meeting Mao’s for a moment before they drifted behind him, where a certain blonde stood by the elevator holding a folder, signature smile on his face.


End file.
